Feature Third party logistics Integrated warehousing at Walker Logistics
Third party logistics provider Walker Logistics has introduced the Empirica warehouse management system from Chess Logistics Technology to enhance its operations and provide customers with an integrated and seamless interface with their own systems to deliver new services and support new ways of managing stock control and distribution operations
alker Logistics is a privately owned third party logistics provider based at Membury in Berkshire. The business can trace its heritage back to the 1970s and relocated to the site in 1999 where it operates 200,000ft2 (18,600m2) of warehousing supporting over 50 cus- tomers. The team of over 50 employees prides itself on quality of service, flex- ibility and attention to detail. The company had been using an ageing stock control program for some time but came to realise it could offer more services with a fully-featured applica- tion that would enable closer control over warehouse operations and inte- gration with other business systems. “Systems are very important to us and we realised we had to get into a higher league,” says Bob Montague, managing director at Walker Logistics. “Customers wanted more information with direct access to our systems and this meant new features and functions.” The company reviewed the market and involved numerous people across the business. Customers were asked their opinions and, after assessing a shortlist of potential suppliers, the decision was for the Empirica system from Chess Logistics Technology. This is built around a comprehensive core application which provides all main warehouse management functions with enhanced reporting features and integration provided by additional system modules. The core application runs on Walker Logistics’ own servers and supports a full real-time solution using mobile handheld computers with barcode scanning to control all key warehouse tasks. This provided real-time, accurate and paperless man- agement over the warehouse operation for the first time.
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“This was central to our operations and we needed to get it right,” says Andrew Dixon, IT manager at Walker Logistics. “The system knows where everything is at all times and in real
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Thanks to the Empirica WMS, many inefficient processes, such as rekeying, have been eliminated. Fulfilment perfor- mance has
improved and new services such as serial number tracking have been introduced
The company is now looking to use more of the sys- tem’s functionality, for example gener- ating KPIs to meet customer demand
time. Movements are captured and there is no risk of paperwork being lost.” The next phase was to look at EDI requirements for each customer and integrate the new application with their own systems. One of the primary objectives was to reduce the need to rekey data. Some orders had previ- ously been entered manually while others were received electronically. Each customer used different field types and names in its datasets and, while not a major problem, to avoid complexity it made sense to standard- ise formats to streamline data exchange. Walker Logistics worked with its customers and their EDI providers to ensure greater uniformity of data. This reduced the time taken to process orders from a day in extreme cases to more or less instantly with no rekeying for the majority of customers. “Nobody likes change and we did it when we were busy, but everyone who’s been involved has recognised the benefits,” says Dixon. “Chess has good experience and it felt like they were hand-holding all the way. They grasp just what we need whenever we call and try to help rather than squeeze every penny out of us.”
For many customers the ability to perform a simple order file download
was more than enough but some wanted a more advanced level of integration. One requested an interface with its SAP system and another wanted to link its JD Edwards application. In each case the objective was seamless information transfer and real-time updates of stock and order positions. Empirica has an integrated interface design module specifically to simplify this process. “Our old system could input and output data but it was cumbersome, relied on a lot of manual intervention and was paper-driven,” says Dixon. “Now we can manage the warehouse how we want but the customer can continue to use systems such as SAP and JDE for their own operations and access the information we hold.” Using a standard Internet browser all customers can now access an instant, real-time view of their stock. Reporting has also been improved. Account managers used to enter data manually before sending reports to customers which was time consuming and error prone. Reports are now pro- duced automatically and sent to cus- tomers, typically daily, in a consistent format using Empirica’s built-in, user configurable templates. Data is also exported in various formats, including PDF and Excel, for customers to com- plete their own reports. This has reduced the time to prepare reports, eliminated rekeying and generally improved the quality of information. Customers with integration have access to the full range of reports. The application has enabled com- plete control over the warehouse func- tion and driven efficiencies that have cut costs and supported better cus- tomer service. By its own admission Walker Logistics has been more disci- plined and changed some of its work- ing processes to take full advantage of the system’s capabilities. The informa- tion available has also provided insight into warehouse performance and how it can be improved.
Chess Logistics Technology T: 0161 888 2580
www.chess.uk.com
Enter 353 MARCH 2012 Materials Handling & Logistics
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